Over the past several years, there has been considerable interest in using optical methods to perform non-destructive inspection and analysis of semi-conductor wafers. The type of inspection is commonly referred to as optical metrology and is typically performed using a range of related techniques including ellipsometry and reflectometry. At the heart of these techniques is the notion that a subject may be examined by analyzing the reflection of a probe beam that is directed at the subject. For the specific case of ellipsometry, changes in the polarization state of the probe beam are analyzed. Reflectometry is similar, except that changes in magnitude are analyzed. Ellipsometry and reflectometry are effective methods for measuring a wide range of attributes including information about thickness, crystallinity, composition and refractive index. The structural details of ellipsometers are described more fully in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,910,842 and 5,798,837 both of which are incorporated in this document by reference.
Scatterometry is a related technique that measures the diffraction (optical scattering) that results when a probe beam is directed at a subject. Scatterometry is an effective method for measuring the critical dimension (CD) of structural features (such as the lines and other structures included in integrated circuits). Scatterometry can be used to analyze two periodic two-dimensional structures (e.g., line gratings) as well as periodic three-dimensional structures (e.g., patterns of vias or mesas in semiconductors). Scatterometry can also be used to perform overlay registration measurements. Overlay measurements attempt to measure the degree of alignment between successive lithographic mask layers.
Most metrology techniques (including those just described) may be performed using monochromatic or polychromatic light. In the case where polychromatic light is used, the interaction between the probe beam and the subject is analyzed as a function of wavelength. In many cases, this increases the accuracy of the analysis. As shown in FIG. 1, a representative implementation of an ellipsometer or reflectometer configured to perform this type of polychromatic analysis includes a broadband light source. The light source creates a polychromatic probe beam that is focused by one or more lenses on a subject. The subject reflects the probe beam. The reflected probe beam passes through another series of one or more lenses to a detector. A processor analyzes the measurements made by the detector.
The broadband light source is a combination of two different sources: a visible light source and a UV source. The visible light source is typically a tungsten lamp and the UV source is typically a deuterium lamp. The outputs of the two lamps are combined using a beam combiner. Prior art beam combiners are usually formed by depositing a very thin partially transparent metal film, such as aluminum on a substrate. The surface of the film is coated with a protective layer of silicon dioxide or magnesium fluoride. A notable example of a UV to visible beam combiner is a 50/50 beam splitter. The output of the beam combiner is the probe beam produced by the broadband light source. The combination of the two separate lamps increases the spectrum of the probe beam beyond what would be practical using a single source.
Unfortunately, the use of prior art beam combiners has known drawbacks. As shown in FIG. 2, a portion of the beam produced by the visible light source is lost because it is reflected instead of being transmitted by the combiner. The output of the UV light source suffers the opposite fate. A portion of that beam is lost because it is transmitted instead of being reflected by the combiner. An additional portion of each beam is lost through absorption and scatter during interaction with the combiner. The overall result is that the intensity of the combined probe beam is significantly reduced when compared to the sum of the outputs produced by the visible and UV light sources. For a 50/50 beam combiner, the intensity of the combined probe beam can be 30% of the sum of the outputs produced by the visible and UV light sources.
For these reasons and others, a need exists for improved devices for combining optical beams. This need is especially important for metrology tools, which require the combination of multiple illumination sources to create wide spectrum polychromatic probe beams.